Hajja Salesjana July September 2018

In 1972, the Rector Major, Aloysius Ricceri, promulgated the newly revised Salesian Constitutions as demanded by Ecumenical Council Vatican II. Articles 165 and 166 stated that a Provincial, in accord with the Rector Major, can set up a Delegation within his province where needed. This he may do if he feels that he is not able to take due care of some local communities which, however, have a certain unity between them, and yet do not have the requisites necessary for a vice-province. The superior of this Delegation is nominated by the Provincial with the consent of his council and exercises those powers which the Provincial delegates to him. No sooner these new Constitutions were published, than all the confreres of Malta began to feel that articles 165 and 166 apply to their situation in the two islands of Malta and Gozo. Malta had been part of the British Province for 34 years since the unity of the two houses in 1940. In 1973, a Provincial Chapter was held at Bolton, England, in which the four Maltese representatives, through Fr. Anthony Sutherland, Rector of St. Patrick’s, and on behalf of all the confreres working in Malta, made the following proposal: “In view of the remoteness of the work in Malta from the rest of the Province, the Provincial Chapter strongly recommends the establishment of some kind of body to be set up in Malta in agreement with the Provincial and his council. This body would function as local council with certain limited powers. This proposal is made with the expectation that the Maltese confreres would consequently have a greater opportunity to develop their apostolate and hope some day to form a Vice-Province and eventually a Province.” This proposal was seconded by Fr. Edward Fox, the Provincial of the British Province, and passed unanimously by the Chapter members. 27 for your generous donations sent recently to Óajja Salesjana. God bless you all! Photo: © iStock.com/roobcio